Has there been a thread about John Martyn?

Listening to his 2004 (post-amputation) album On the Cobbles and it's got some goodly things. It sounds glorious; there's a reworking of Go Down Easy, which has Nick McCabe making some beautiful noise; Danny Thompson sounds great; The Creator is meandering and needs some thinking through. Could have done without the Weller track.

This latest Alabaster LePlume (all instrumental, none of the usual "whispered" vocals, as described here) so far has a Martyn-compatible vibe (notes mention "Celtic" etc, some of it seems Adriatic)-mostly reeds & guitar, occasional keys, mbira: https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/to-cy-lee-instrumentals-vol-1

(There's also a thread for it, but wanted to listen before reading.)

Little bit of violin, cello bow down in there now. Won't liveblog tho sry

Sweet Little Mystery was featured on the most recent episode of Devs

I dunno why "Give Us A Ring" chokes me up?

me too!! i love that song so much and i have never understood why i found it so poignant

originally written for Nick Drake, aiui; it would've fitted in quite nicely on Bryter Layter. But yeah, for a song seemingly about smuggling weed through customs, it's lovely.

It would totally fit on Bryter Layter. Beautiful song. Paul Harris on piano, too (him off Manassas), which might explain why it totally reminds me of Descending by the Black Crowes.

I had a poke around on the internet and the fellow who write the song put up his own version at some point. Such a great song.

https://soundcloud.com/paulwheeler8/give-us-a-ring

it must be something about the chords or melody or vocal delivery that gets me because i can only remember a few lines, so it's not the lyrics. i don't think "what's the food like, have you slept well" or "give us a ring when you get there" is enough to make me emotional lol

Ah! I never knew it was written for ND. Would indeed fit nicely into "Bryter Layter" which happens to be my fave Drake album. Such a lovely song.

never heard that original "Give Us A Ring" — beautiful ...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/30/small-hours-the-long-night-of-john-martyn-by-graeme-thomson-review

Kill yr idols indeed. Looks like I have to read this one.

Finished Graeme Thompson's new bio. Excellent.
Would've loved to hear Scott Walker cover Martyn's "Amsterdam" off "Glorious Fool" - which I'm digging a lot these days.

hadn't seen this whole rockpalast 1978 performance before, amazing stuff:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXY0SExC5I

'bless the weather' on that is particularly spicy, starts at 16:30

fantastic perfornance -- has he got a contact mic taped to the guitar in addition to a pickup?

yes, apparently so:

"he used a DeArmond sound hole pickup and Barcus Berry (type) contact pickup positioned behind and slightly below the bridge"

https://johnmartyn.com/guitar/a-history-of-johns-guitar-set-ups/

This 1983 concert is menacing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaDRamS0ap4

It shows how neutered his sound was by the production on the albums of the time. This rhythm section is great. Check out the quoting of Love Supreme near the end in Looking On.

something from a live album got played on wfmu earlier today and, yeah, menacing is spot on

God that is fantastic, thank you so much

After I typed "menacing", I was unsure if that was an apt word, so the confirmation is great to hear. And, yes, this show is so fantastic. Some of the Old Grey Whistle Test material on the deluxe Grace & Danger is in the same vein. I still need to explore some of the other recordings of this period.

Lot of albums here I hadn't heard of; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Martyn Curious about some of the expanded reissues, like Solid Air and Live At Leeds.

Expanded Solid Air has some gems, e.g., When It's Dark and In the Evening. The alternate takes are not that revelatory. I think one has some saxophone that's pretty cool. Expanded Grace & Danger is much more essential.

I still haven't heard Live at Leeds (I've only been listening to John Martyn for 2 months or so). But I noticed there are two different expanded editions: Island Records version and Live at Leeds and More by Recall records.

There's a fabulous instrumental version of the title track on the deluxe Solid Air. It totally works, like a tight jazz piece driven by Danny Thompson's bass. The expanded Sunday's Child includes a great solo John Peel session.

Excellent encouragement, thanks yall. Solid Air was the gateway for my friends and I---via a Creem review, I think--then some of my friends found Stormbringer, with xpost Beverly M. input upfront, and the one where she actually got co-billing, Road To Ruin. Then the even jazzier Inside Out was released, later One World was a big smoker's-shroomer's favorite in these parts.

live at Leeds is incredible, a total must have

xpost Even jazzier than Solid Air, that is. Yeah, I've never heard it! Gotta check the xpost concert youtube also.

Am I the only one put off by how "out-of-it" his vocals often sound, or is that part of the attraction? I guess I mean his enunciation in particular.

I never feel that way about Tim Buckley, for instance, which may or may not have to do with how "out-of-it" they each were when recording.

The slurred vocals? For me, that's a big part of his appeal

I was sort of struck by how different his vocals on One World sounded. Yes they’re still slurred but a lot of the tracks—“Dealer,” “Big Muff”—feature a much gruffer singing style than I’ve heard him use elsewhere.

I’ve always liked Solid Air. Weirdly not loved it. But this instrumental mix of the title track, ahem, goes down easy.

Would add that one of the things that always amazed me about Martyn was how he could sound on one track like he just gargled rocks and on the next bust out the sweetest, most delicate “Over the Hill” vocal you can imagine.

I saw him just before he died doing a "Solid Air in full" thing at the Roundhouse in London. He was carried on stage and launched apathetically into about 45 minutes of corporate blues-rock w/rock-gargling vocals. I recognised one song - Dealer - but the rest was 80s/90s stuff I think. Occasional gruff barking. He then said "Well I suppose we'd better get on with the business of the evening" and delivered the aforementioned sweetest, most delicate “Over the Hill” vocal you can imagine. Entire crowd singing along. Then the rest of the album (out of order, so as not to keep changing guitars) brilliantly, then another half hour of blues/rock crud. A memorable event.

JM invents Doom, did he often crank it up like this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE6i_qnoAgo

ooft amazing version

Beautiful, thanks

Yeah, I've been wondering why that version isn't on the expanded One World!

xp Good lord that live "One World" is amazing. He used a similar doom fuzz effect on "Root Love" from Sunday's Child (imo his most underrated album, would be my favorite if not for One World)

I feel like I may have posted that “One World” performance two or three times on this thread already. Not that I’m complaining.

I saw him just before he died doing a "Solid Air in full" thing at the Roundhouse in London. He was carried on stage and launched apathetically into about 45 minutes of corporate blues-rock w/rock-gargling vocals. I recognised one song - Dealer - but the rest was 80s/90s stuff I think. Occasional gruff barking. He then said "Well I suppose we'd better get on with the business of the evening" and delivered the aforementioned sweetest, most delicate “Over the Hill” vocal you can imagine. Entire crowd singing along. Then the rest of the album (out of order, so as not to keep changing guitars) brilliantly, then another half hour of blues/rock crud. A memorable event.